Agric Contributes 18pc To Economy

A worker discs a field in preparation for planting at Pepsia Farm in Goromonzi district recently. - Picture Joseph Manditswara

Precious Manomano Herald Reporter

Zimbabwe’s economy is anchored on agriculture, with the sector contributing 18 percent to gross domestic product (GDP), Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Davis Marapira has said. The sector also provides core livelihood to 67 percent of the population living in rural areas. Deputy Marapira was speaking during a horticulture conference in Türkiye recently. He said Zimbabwe was endowed with an abundance of fertile agricultural land of up to 33 million hectares, and good climate, which allows the country to produce over 23 exportable crops and livestock commodities, including maize and other cereals, soyabean and other oil crops, legumes, macadamia, coffee, avocados, citrus and other fruits. “Just at the beginning of this year, Zimbabwe and China concluded a trade protocol for the export of citrus to China,” he said. “This presents a huge opportunity for investors in citrus production, aggregation and cold chain facilities.” Also emerging are high value exportable commodities such as industrial hemp and medicinal cannabis and Zimbabwe is open to receiving investors in the production, processing and marketing of the crops. In the horticulture sub-space, blueberries, pecan nuts, macadamia nuts, avocados, coffee, passion fruit and other high value crops presented perfect opportunities for export-oriented investors keen to realise reasonable profit margins. Through the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) and the Agriculture and Food Systems Strategy, Zimbabwe has already achieved a US$8,2 billion agriculture economy. ReadMore